The collection manager for the University of Texas at El Paso
Biodiversity Collections (UTEP-BC, natural history collections) will
administer a world-class collection of specimens. The collections
consist of fluid-preserved specimens, study skins, herbarium specimens,
invertebrate collections, Cenozoic fossils, frozen tissues, wet and dry
skeletons, acoustical recordings, digital and film-image archives, and
extensive library holdings. The collections have an historical strength
in Chihuahuan desert extant and extinct invertebrate and vertebrate
specimens, and recent collections have focused on this region, Central
and South America, and Central Africa. University curators and students,
and national and international scholars use the collections extensively
for research and education. The collections manager is responsible for
day-to-day activities in the collection and reports to the director.

Duties:
1. Collections management and conservation (40%)
* Develop and maintain collection database (Arctos), including data
migration from other computer programs to Arctos
* Ensure long-term integrity and preservation of collections and
collection-storage environment.
* Maintain and improve collection-care protocols.
* Maintain and organize records of collection activity, use, and status
for annual reports, grant submittals, and other documentation.
2. Acquisition and collection development (10%)
* Oversee the preparation and staging of newly acquired specimens for
their integration into the collection.
* Organize and prepare documentation necessary for specimen accession,
including national and international permits and associated
documentation.
* Electronically catalog specimens and their associated information.
* Participate in acquisition of specimens for the UTEP-BC by
facilitating donations and by occasional fieldwork and expeditions at
the direction of the curatorial staff.
3. Museum operational service (30%)
* Process all specimen loans, exchanges, and gifts; incorporate received
specimens into the collection; maintain appropriate records of such
activities.
* Collaborate with curators to plan and implement divisional goals,
priorities, and programs.
* Collaborate with other museum collections managers to achieve high
quality collections care and economy of scale in all collections-related
activities.
* Work proactively to place specimens from the UTEP-BC collection into
the hands of qualified researchers for study.
* Assist and supervise users of the collections.
* Respond to inquiries from scientists, governmental and consulting
agencies, the public, and other users.
* Participate in the museum’s public programming by providing
information and specimens and assisting in exhibit design; assist in
museum public functions.
* Conduct tours for visiting scholars, students, and the public.
4. Supervision (10%)
* Hire, train, and supervise undergraduate assistants.
* Train and supervise volunteers working in the collection.
5. Professional development (5%)
* Work closely with the curators to ensure consistency of practice.
* Participate in collection management training and development through
professional societies.
* Undertake research in area of expertise when not in conflict with
collection management duties.
* Participate in professional scientific societies.
6. Other duties as appropriate. (5%)

Required qualifications:
* A Master’s degree or Ph.D. from an accredited university in museum
studies, systematics, botany or invertebrate/vertebrate zoology or
bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 2 years experience working with
museum collections in a position with similar responsibilities.
* Familiarity with biodiversity informatics, including the database
Arctos, web-based applications, and distributed networks.
* Demonstrable knowledge of care and management of natural history
collections, with a special emphasis on preventative conservation,
collection-storage environments, and techniques pertaining uniquely to
fluid-preserved, skeletal, and dry skin collections.

Preferred qualifications:
* Expertise in one or more taxa that constitute divisional strengths and
programmatic priorities.
* Working knowledge of the taxonomy and identification of plants,
invertebrates, or vertebrates from the southwestern United States and
northern Mexico.
* International field experience with knowledge of numerous techniques
for the collection of botanical, invertebrate, or vertebrate specimens.
* Experience handling cryogenically stored tissue samples.

HOW TO APPLY:
The following application materials should be sent in one PDF file via
email to: Cinthia Acuna, UTEP Human Resources, ccacuna@utep.edu